Filter apparatus



May 20 1952 R. G. zl-:NlcK

FILTER APPARATUS Filed April 23, 1948 K uf mz m6 BQMJ%M rrO/aA/El/ Patented May 20, 1952 AlIILSlER APPARATUS l'RaymondiG. Zenick, Burbank, Calif.. assigner lto :.Filterall 1Go., Inc., Glendale, Calif., .a corporaitioncof-:California Application April 23, 1948, Serial No. 22,798

(Cl.",2l0 1'66) ving the oilin a lubricant circulating system-used 4in lubricating machines of which linternal -cor'nbustion engines are an example.

An object of the invention is to providedairltering apparatusof the abovecharacter having incorporated therein a ltering element 'formed oporous-metal.

Another-object of the invention is to provide an voil filter for internal 1combustion engines vand other machines in which the filtering element iis -o'f 'such character that" all sediment and fiore-ign matter `removed by the filter is retained at the `entrant Yside-of `the -lter v"element so v.that vthe -'element 4-may Abe readily Acleanedrand restored to use.

-Still another object o'f'the invention is :1;01 provide an oil flter foi-machines having av pressure 'lubricating-system which 'is'so constructed and --arranged that theltering f element :maybe readvily 'removed forrcleaning and may 'thenbe 1returned -to the' filter assembly ,for'use AA -still ffurlther object of the invention Lis to.

vprovide an oil 'filter for `Vpressure 4lubricating '--Systems Awhich is so Iconstructedand arranged that lin'the `eventl of anylexcess pressure `:against the filterfelement `the `fluid will be .by-'passed around the lter'element. f

A 4still further object of 'the invention :is f to vWith thexabove A objects .1in fview, "together with :such :other :objects zand advantages as g may lestibfsequently appear, :the vinvention resides :in ithe 'pa-lits., van'dgn the construction combination, and 4lariangement :of parts, :or of :equivalents thereof, ,described 'in fthe ,following "speciiications Lreference being had :to 'the .accompanying `:drawings of an illustrative form of the invention and in -whichsdrawingsz Fia 11 iis l@milanfitting the iqzrinciples :fof-ithe meenden; :portion :of aside "mall 'zzbens :broken iat/:ay ssliowmf interim-construction 2 Fig. 2 is a second side Yelevation of lthe filter `apparatus shown in'Fig. 1; 'the view beingltaken faterigh-t'angles to Fig. 1.

Fig. '3 is an enlarged,'transverse, sectional `view r4ofrthe lter'apparatus taken-on the line 3-3 off-Figf2. Fig.4 is a `perspective view of Ythe filter element assembly, and

Fig. `5 isf-a greatly enlarged, somewhat dagrammatia fragmentary, sectional view of the lter-elemenhshowing thearrangement of the grains of metal from -which it is formed vwhere- 'byuan improved-ltering action isrr achieved.

"In the form illustrated, the v'filter apparatus comprises a bowl V`I 'having -at the bottom thereof an axially 'cl-ispose'd'inlet-port 2 and-adjacent the periphery thereof lranfoutletfport "3`both of which are linternallythreaded :to vreceive ittings T4 and T5 `lwhich alsa extend lthrough :and 'serve ito clamp --oneven-'d vvoi a supporting bracket 6 to the 'bottom .o'fthebowL The bracket at its-oth-erendis proivapparatuslmaybe secured Itoor adjacentto the ienginezor'otherrmachine with whicht is .associated and the ttings '5B Vand f5 A'are linternally threaded- (for/lconnectionin series inv a '.rl'ine` formfing 1a f part vof .I the lubricating system off the fen-' :gine ormachine.

`'Preferably 'fformed ras fan integral part fr of -and -rising-fromthebottomzoflthe bowl I lis anaxially disposedpostB, 'the-upper end of which-is higher than the/edge o'f rvthebovvl. This Apost contains a longitudinal 'bore 9 extending from theinlet =port 2-to 2ailateral: port I Il' vleading to 'thel'ex'terior Jof the post atlabou't'fthe mid-@point of its length. Thetop-o'f the bowl is cl'o'sed bya coveriI'I having lvva gasket ylf2fengagingthe-edge of the --hoiv'lland `-extending inwardly Vtherefrom Frand fthe pover is fheld in place thereonlby a 'bolt -I3 threaded Ainto fthel upper f endo'f the fpost 8.

vrllhepo'st 8 "is'c'ircular "in `cross seo'ti'on and prefr-erably"isslightlytapered toward fits free end and floosely fslidin'gly fmountedfon :the `postiis `ass'leeve `a iside elevation of sa. lterapparatus;

vinterior of `Lvhich is vslightlytapered inwardly ltoward fits 'I lower :end fwith vresu'ltan't creation of an increased clearance 5 :between the upper portion of the sleeve :and the post than at the lower :'en'd ithereof. This `clearance :may be :formed :by tapering :either thev sleeve -or the post :alone or by \-;tapering 'both 'fas vI here i shown or by eabrupt changes .infdiametersifso ,longrasthe in- Y pressedA clearance :fis .fpm ded. 4.'.fIEhe slewe @I4 carries filter .element l5 .of '.hnl'low, inverted,

'sifrustoeconicalfnrm; ,minor @diameter cof which engages the exterior of the sleeve with a press iit. Leakage between the filter element and the sleeve is prevented by a resilient gasket element I'I surrounding the sleeve I4 below the lower end of the filter element and held in place by a flange I8 formed on the lower end of the sleeve as best shown in Fig. 3.

Preferably, the filter element is formed of porous, sintered metal, the grains of which prior to sintering are so arranged as to form an entrant surface I' of less porosity than the discharge surface i6". Such a filter element and a mode of making the same is described and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 18,315, filed April 1, 1948, now abandoned, and the division thereof, Serial No. 111,303, filed August 19,1949.

Surrounding the post 8 and engaging the lower face of the flange I8 is a second resilient gasket I9 the lower face of which is engaged by the upper end of a compression spring 20 also surrounding the post and the lower end of the spring rests on the bottom of the bowl. This spring operates to hold the gasket I9 tightly against the flange I8 and to prevent leakage of oil from the bottom of the sleeve and further operates to cause the gasket I1 to be engaged between the nange I8 and the end of the filter element I6 and still further to hold the filter element assembly comprising the sleeve I4 and filter element I with the upper edge 2I in yielding engagement with the cover gasket I2. filter element IS and the sleeve with the gaskets I1 and I9 divide the interior of the bowl into a receiving cavity 22 and a discharge cavity 23.

In operation, oil is delivered through the inlet port 2, passage 9 and lateral port I0 into the clearance space I5 and since this space is sealed at the lower end by the gasket I9the oil is discharged from the top of the sleeve into the receiving cavity 22. The oil then passes through the pores in the lter element I6 into the discharge cavity 23 and thence out of the discharge port 3 back into the lubricating system. If the lter element becomes fouled or if for any other reason the oil can not pass through the lter element as fast as it is delivered to the receiving cavity with resultant increase of pressure therein,'the pressure will react against the yielding mounting of the filter element and will cause the filter element to be moved out of contact with the gasket I2 against the load imposed by the spring 20 so that some of the oil can by-pass the filter element and can escape directly into the the discharge cavity 23 over the edge 2| of the filter element with some of the oil still passing through the filter element until such time as the filter element is cleaned or the cause of the increase in pressure is otherwise terminated. In this connection, it is particularly to be noted that as shown in Fig. 3, the top of the sleeve I4 is substantially at the same level as the top edge 2| of the filter element and that because of this A during the by-passlng of oil, the oll so by-passed will be that flowing across the top of the body 8 bygrasplng the end of the sleeve I4. Since, l. as. has been pointed `-out above, the Vtop edges of the sleeve and the lt'er element are substantially v in the samev plane, `the sediment-containingoil Thus, the

trapped therein is also removed without danger i that it will be spilled into the discharge cavity. After being cleaned, the filter element assembly is dropped back on the post 8 and the cover replaced; the tightening of the bolt I3 serving also to compress the spring 20 to create yielding engagement between the filter element and the gasket I2.

Thus there has been created a filter apparatus for lubricating systems which can readily be installed in existing systems and which is of small size and which, further, is so constructed that in the event of clogging, it will by-pass the oil so as not to interrupt the operation of the lubrication of the machine and in which the filter element can be removed, cleaned and replaced without disconnecting the filter apparatus from the system.

While I have described an illustrative mode of execution of my invention, I do not limit myself to the exact form disclosed, and the invention includes such modifications of the parts and of their equivalents and of the construction, combination, and arrangement thereof as come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. An oil filter comprising a bowl having inlet and outlet ports affording means of connection in series in a lubrication system, a post extending upwardly from the bottom of said bowl and having a bore extending longitudinally thereof from said inlet port to a discharge orifice at a point above the bottom of said bowl, cover means enclosing the top of said bowl, a lter element slidably mounted on said post and having its lower end disposed in a plane transverse to said port and located between said orifice and the bottom of said bowl, separate gasket means carried by said cover and said post constructed and arranged to engage the upper and lower ends, respectively, of said filter element with resultant division of the interior of said bowl by said lter element and gasket means into fluid receiving and iiud discharge cavities; said upper gasket means having a portion thereof disposed between said cover and said bowl and serving as a sealing gasket therebetween and said lower gasket means being slidably mounted on said post, and resilient means surrounding'said post and reacting between the bottom of said bowl and said lower gasket means effective to maintain said lower gasket means in sealing relation between said post and the lower end of said filter element while maintaining the upper end of said lter element in yielding engagement with said upper gasket means.

2. An oil filter comprising a bowl having an outlet port in the bottom thereof and having a post extending upwardly from the bottom thereof; said post having a fluid inlet channel terminating in an orifice in the side of said post, a cover enclosing the top ofv said bowl, a sealing gasket disposed between the cover and said bowl, fluid pressure responsive means normally dividing theinterior of said bowl into fluid receiving and fluid discharge cavities comprising a lter element of hollow inverted frusto-conical form slidingly mounted on said post and means maintaining the upper, outer edge of said filter element in yielding engagement with said gasket. i

3. An oil filter comprising a bowl having a cover detachably closing the open end thereof and havinguanaxially disposed post rising from the bottomxthereofsaid posthaving a uid inlet channelm terminating ,in a discharge 'orifice in ,the/side Wall thereof, aisleevemounted for movement on said post and extending above and below said orifice, a filter element of hollow inverted frustoconical form carried by said sleeve and dividing said bowl into fluid receiving and fluid discharge cavities, and an outlet port extending between said discharge cavity and the exterior of said bowl.

4. A lter for oil and the like comprising a body member in the form of a bowl having a removable cover secured thereto, filter means comprising a hollow, inverted, frusto-conical filter element having an axially disposed sleeve substantially co-extensive in length with the height of said filter element, a spring interposed between said body and said filter element and sleeve effective to maintain the larger end of said filter element in yielding engagement with a wall of said body member and by such engagement to divide the interior thereof into uid receiving and fiuid discharge cavities; said spring permitting said filter means to respond to the presence of excess pressure to by-pass uid direct from said receiving cavity to said discharge cavity, and inlet and outlet ports in said body affording communication between the exterior of said body and said receiving and discharge cavities respectively.

5. A filter for fiuids comprising a body member in the form of a bowl having an axially disposed post rising from the center thereof, a cover engaging the open side of said bowl, a bolt threaded into the end of said post effective to removably secure said cover on said bowl, and filter means comprising a sleeve supporting a lter element of inverted frusto-conical form freely mounted on said post and yieldingly engaging said cover to divide the interior of said bowl into fluid receiving and fiuid discharge cavities, the surface of said filter element adjacent said fiuid receiving cavity being of less porosity than the opposite side thereof and said sleeve and filter element combining to form a sediment retaining space.

6. A lter for fiuids comprising a hollow body member having a centrally disposed post rising from the bottom thereof and a removable cover secured to said post and engaging the edge of said body member, filter means within said body dividing the interior thereof into fluid receiving and fiuid discharge cavities; said filter means comprising a porous metal filter element of hollow, inverted frusta-conical form having an axially disposed sleeve substantially co-extensive in length with the height of said filter element slidably mounted on said post, the mounting of said filter means within said body being so constructed and arranged that Said filter means is held in yielding engagement with said cover and operates as a by-pass valve to permit the passage of fluids direct from the receiving cavity to the discharge cavity in the event of excess fluid pressure within said receiving cavity.

7. A filter means for fluids for use with a casing of the type comprising a bowl having inlet and outlet ports extending through the wall vthereof and having a removable cover and an axially disposed hollow post rising from the bottom of the bowl and having an orifice in the side wall of the post constituting an extension of one of said ports, said filter means comprising a rigid, thin walled, porous filter element of hollow, frusto-conical form having an axially disposed sleeve extending from the smaller end of said element to the plane of the larger end thereof; said sleeve being loosely mountable on the casing post and effective to maintain said filter element in axial alignment with the post, a gasket interposable between the larger end of said filter element and the bowl cover, resilient means mountable on the casing post and extending from the bottom of the bowl upwardly to a point below the casing post orifice effective to urge said lter element into yielding engagement with said gasket, and a second gasket interposed between the smaller end of said filter element and said resilient means effective to prevent fluid flow between the lower end of said sleeve and the casing post.

RAYMOND G. ZEN ICK.

REFJERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

, UNITED STATES PATENTS 

